PONDERWALL | Magazine of Science & Culture

THE SCIENCE OF FOREST THERAPY

POLICING THE BERLIN WALL: THE GHOSTLY PHOTOS TAKEN BY THE STASI’S HIDDEN CAMERAS

Surveillance occurred through the collection of documents, audio, video, human odors – and around two million photographs now held in the Stasi archive.

CLIMATE CHANGE: WHY SWEDEN’S CENTRAL BANK DUMPED AUSTRALIAN BONDS

Economics, Politics

Martin Flodén, the deputy governor of Sweden’s central bank, announced that because Australia and Canada were “not known for good climate work”.

GUT MICROBES CAN GET YOU DRUNK AND DAMAGE YOUR LIVER

Science

Some people may contain intestinal microbes that are secreting alcohol, which might make them act as if they were drinking.

NOT ONE BUT TWO AUSSIE DISHES WERE USED TO GET THE TV SIGNALS BACK FROM THE APOLLO 11 MOONWALK

History, Technology

When Neil Armstrong stepped on to the Moon, Australians saw the images first. They used a second Aussie dish to bring the historic images to the world.

OVER 70% OF THE EU MILLIONAIRE BANKERS LIVE IN THE UK, EBA REPORT REVEALS

Economics, Politics

The UK continues being home to the large majority of the EU millionaire bankers. About 3,567 of them live in the UK, whereas only 390 live in Germany, 233 in France and 201 in Italy.

MIKE TYSON TOP 10 MOST PUNISHING FIGHTS

Sports

Mike Tyson was born on June 30th, 1966 in Brownsville, Brooklyn, New York. His real name is Michael Gerard Tyson. He started competing as a professional boxer in 1985 and retired twenty years later in 2005.

IMPEACHMENT: TWO QUOTES THAT DEFINED THE FIRST DAY OF PUBLIC HEARINGS

Politics

Wednesday’s public testimony in the House of Representatives’ impeachment hearings did not make a lot of news about the substance of what is at stake.

POLICE THREATENED IRAQI PROTESTERS WITH DOGS – THEY THREATENED BACK WITH A LION

Misc

The police threatened the Iraqi protesters with trained dogs. One of the protesters answered by bringing a lion and threatening to let it attack both the dogs and the police.

OIL COMPANIES ARE THINKING ABOUT A LOW-CARBON FUTURE, BUT AREN’T MAKING BIG INVESTMENTS IN IT YET

Politics

An analysis by the Carbon Disclosure Project shows that investor-owned oil companies currently are spending 1% to 4% of their capital investment on low-carbon energy sources.

I TRAVELED TO AMERICAN SAMOA 5 TIMES TO STUDY THE SECRET OF ITS FOOTBALL SUCCESS

Sports

Samoans have become the most overrepresented group, per capita, in the NFL. About 180,000 people of Samoans descent live stateside, while another 55,000 live in American Samoa, a U.S. territory.

HOW NEW YORK’S UNION SQUARE HELPED SHAPE FREE SPEECH IN THE US

Geography

New York’s Union Square gained a reputation as a site for political rallies during the Civil War. Following the Confederate attack on Fort Sumter in 1861.

AERIAL THREAT: WHY DRONE HACKING COULD BE BAD NEWS FOR THE MILITARY

Technology

Imagine a defense operation in which a drone is sent out to spy on enemy territory. The enemy identifies the drone but instead of disabling it, compromises the sensors (vision, sonar, and so on) to inject false data.

HOW TO SEE STARS AND TACKLE LIGHT POLLUTION IN YOUR OWN BACKYARD

Science

Local action on light pollution – by people in their homes or local councils dimming and reducing non-essential lighting in parks – might seem small in scale, but the results can be impressive.

CAPTIVE BREEDING HAS A DARK SIDE – AS DISTURBING CZECH DISCOVERY OF TRAFFICKED TIGER BODY PARTS HIGHLIGHTS

Politics

The rotting remains of a number of tigers, lions and cougars were recently discovered in a raid in Prague. Exotic wildlife trade is booming in Europe.

THE US IS A WHOLE LOT RICHER BECAUSE OF TRADE WITH EUROPE, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER EU IS FRIEND OR FOE

Politics

The European Union is the largest U.S. trading partner in terms of its total bilateral trade and has been for the past several decades.

‘I HAVE A JOB BUT I’M HOMELESS’ – THE WORKING POOR WHO CAN’T AFFORD TO RENT

Politics

One in every 200 people in Britain is homeless – sleeping on the streets or stuck in temporary accommodation, including hostels and B&Bs.

THE PRESTIGIOUS HARPY EAGLE

Geography

A video of the harpy eagle, filmed in South America in 2015.

STRANGE SPATIAL PHENOMENON FILMED IN FRANCE

Misc

This video was filmed in Toulouse, France, on December 9th 2010. It clearly shows a source of light that is neither an airplane, nor a known celestial object.

THE BATTLE BETWEEN NBC AND CBS TO BE THE FIRST TO FILM A BERLIN WALL TUNNEL

History

In 1962, NBC and CBS were at work on two separate, secret documentaries on escape tunnels being dug under the Berlin Wall.

MONSANTO WINS $7.7B LAWSUIT IN BRAZIL – BUT FARMER’S FIGHT TO STOP ITS AMORAL ROYALTY SYSTEM WILL CONTINUE

Politics

A Brazilian court has decided in favor of Monsanto, the agribusiness conglomerate, in a landmark class-action lawsuit filed by Brazilian farmers’ unions.

MCDONALD’S FIRED ITS CEO FOR SLEEPING WITH AN EMPLOYEE – RESEARCH SHOWS WHY EVEN CONSENSUAL OFFICE ROMANCES CAN BE A PROBLEM

Politics

McDonald’s ousted its CEO over a consensual relationship with an employee, just a week after U.S. Rep. Katie Hill stepped down due to a similar allegation.

BRONZE AGE DISCOVERY REVEALS SURPRISING EXTENT OF BRITAIN’S TRADE WITH EUROPE 3,600 YEARS AGO

History, Politics

Research reveals evidence of a copper-mining bonanza in Wales 3,600 years ago that reached France, the Netherlands, Germany, Denmark and Sweden.

US GREEN ECONOMY GROWTH DWARFS DONALD TRUMP’S HIGHEST HOPES FOR THE FOSSIL FUEL INDUSTRY

Economics, Politics

While Donald Trump may be “the world’s most powerful climate change denier”, our latest research suggests that he took over over a thriving green economy.

HOW GAMBLING BUILT BASEBALL – AND THEN ALMOST DESTROYED IT

History, Sports

In baseball’s infancy, it was thought of as a boy’s game. But over the course of the 19th century, gambling deepened adult interest in the sport.

ROAD RAGE RIDER SMASHES CAR’S WINDOW THEN INSTANTLY REGRETS IT

Misc

Bike rider smashes car’s window in a violent road rage then gets beaten up.

KOMODO DRAGON EATING MONKEY

Misc

Comodo dragon eating monkey in a shocking video.

HALF A BILLION ON HALLOWEEN PET COSTUMES IS LATEST SIGN OF AMERICA’S OUT-OF-CONTROL CONSUMERISM

Economics, Politics

Americans will spend US$8.8 billion on Halloween candy, costumes and decorations this year, including half a billion dollars on costumes for their pets.

AUSTRALIAN TENNIS PRO NICK KYRGIOS THROWS CHAIR ONTO COURT DURING MELTDOWN

Misc

During the Italian Open, tennis pro Nick Kyrgios threw a chair onto the court after receiving an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

WOMEN IN MANAGEMENT: EUROPEAN COMMISSION EXCEEDS ITS 40% TARGET

Politics

The European Commission has exceeded the target set by President Jean-Claude Juncker in 2014 committing that, by the end of his mandate, 40% of the Commission’s middle and senior managers should be women.

A SMALL NEW ZEALAND SONGBIRD THAT HIDES FOOD FOR LATER USE PROVIDES INSIGHTS INTO COGNITIVE EVOLUTION

Geography, Science

The spatial memory performance of the New Zealand robin, shows male birds with superior memory abilities also have better breeding success.

WHY DO POOR CHILDREN PERFORM MORE POORLY THAN RICH ONES?

Politics

Research has shown that children of poorer parents display substantially worse math and reading skills by the time they start grade school.

SCHOOL FUNDING: PROMISED INCREASES ARE ACTUALLY REAL-TERM CUTS – AND POORER SCHOOLS ARE HIT HARDEST

Politics

The NEU suggests that, when inflation is taken into account, over 16,000 schools will have less income in April 2020, compared to 2015.

RED PLANET RUMBLES: NASA’S RECORDINGS OF MARSQUAKES LET US LISTEN TO THE MARTIAN HEARTBEAT

Science

Thanks to the audio recordings of distant rumblings on Mars released this week by NASA, we finally know what the red planet sounds like.

WULINGYUAN: CHINA’S AVATAR MOUNTAIN

Geography

One of the most stunning and beautiful places in the world, the Wulingyuan Scenic Area in China’s Hunan Province has more than 3,000 sandstone pillars.

EVEN WITH A DEAL, EVEN WITH AN ELECTION, THESE BREXIT QUESTIONS WILL STILL NEED TO BE ANSWERED

Politics

Once out of the EU, Britain has less bargaining power. Its future relationship is still to be negotiated – and that arrangement will last.

THE DANISH CONCEPT OF ‘HYGGE’ – AND WHY IT’S THEIR LATEST SUCCESSFUL EXPORT

Geography

If you’re reading this in a comfortable chair, surrounded by tasteful soft furnishings and perhaps even a candle or two, that sense of cosiness you’re feeling might just be hygge.

IN 19 STATES, IT’S OKAY TO HIT KIDS WITH A WOODEN BOARD

Politics

Sadly, despite all evidence to the contrary, many principals do believe that corporal punishment is effective for some students.

THESE CELEBRITIES CAUSE 10,000 TIMES MORE CARBON EMISSIONS FROM FLYING THAN THE AVERAGE PERSON

Politics

The jet-setting habits of Bill Gates and Paris Hilton mean that they produce 10,000 times more carbon emissions from flying than the average person.

WE ANALYSED 101 COMPANIES’ STATEMENTS ON MODERN SLAVERY – HERE’S WHAT WE FOUND

Economics, Politics

Something as criminal as forced labour and modern slavery makes it hard for buyers to act in any other way than reporting it to the authorities.

LONDON BECOMES THE WORLD’S FIRST NATIONAL PARK CITY, COMMITTED TO GIVING PEOPLE ACCESS TO NATURE

Geography, Politics

London has been officially designated the world’s first national park city, with a week-long festival of free outdoor events and a ceremony at City Hall to mark the occasion.

INSPIRED BY SCI-FI, AN AIRPLANE WITH NO MOVING PARTS AND A BLUE IONIC GLOW

Technology

The plane uses electroaerodynamic propulsion, which was investigated as far back as the 1920s by an eccentric scientist who was researching anti-gravity.

FORMULA ONE MOTOR FIRMS ARE BECOMING TEXTBOOK CASES IN HOW TO SUCCESSFULLY BRANCH INTO OTHER SECTORS

Sports, Technology

Formula one companies have been reinventing themselves for the digital era and selling their tech know-how to other sectors.

FIGHT TO PRESERVE ELFDALIAN, SWEDEN’S LOST FOREST LANGUAGE

Geography

Elfdalian is used only by 2,500 people but is a treasure trove for linguists. It has preserved linguistic features that can’t be found elsewhere.

BALD EAGLE WALKING

Misc

Bald eagle walking on the beach at Anchor Point on the Cook Inlet and Kenai Peninsula in Alaska. The eagle was enjoying a fish snack.

SPACE MAY SOON BECOME A WAR ZONE – HERE’S HOW THAT WOULD WORK

Politics, Science

At a summit in early December 2019, NATO is expected to declare space as a “warfighting domain”, partly in response to new developments in technology.

PAUL GASCOIGNE TRIAL HIGHLIGHTS WHY MOST WOMEN DON’T REPORT SEXUAL ABUSE OR RAPE

Politics

The jury of eight men and four women found Paul Gascoigne not guilty of sexual assault. He was also cleared of the lesser charge of common assault.

WHO OWNS THE MOON? A SPACE LAWYER ANSWERS

Politics, Science

Countries such as Russia and somewhat less explicitly Brazil and Belgium hold that the moon and asteroids belong to humanity as a whole.

NETHERLANDS POLICE TRAIN EAGLES TO CATCH DRONES

Misc, Technology

Netherlands Police are training eagles to catch drones to prevent illegal use. They said that they will investigate the birds’ safety as safety continue.